


Self Defense

by GoodGodHenry



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Agent Asshole, Attempted Assault, Creeper, Creepy Old Dude, Gen, Inappropriate Behavior, Learning to Fight, New FBI Agent Aaron Hotchner, Self-Defense, Standing up for yourself, Teenage Emily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-04-05 06:31:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14038239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodGodHenry/pseuds/GoodGodHenry
Summary: New FBI Agent, Aaron Hotchner, runs security for Ambassador Prentiss. When a fellow agent acts inappropriately toward her teenage daughter, Hotch steps in. A story of self defense and friendship.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Readers: Despite my deep love for Hotchniss, this is a story of friendship. Hotch is happily married to his new bride, Haley.
> 
> This is a short story (under 10 chapters).
> 
> Rated T for Cursing
> 
> Enjoy,
> 
> GGH

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Quietly, Emily padded into the kitchen to steal a cup of coffee. Despite being 18 and a high school graduate, she had to sneak as her mother, the esteemed Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss, felt that coffee would stunt her growth. She was already 5’7”, how much taller did her mother expect her to grow? 

The house was quiet at 10:30 in the morning. The housekeeper, Marta, was out at the market. Their house manager, Edward, was in his office on the other side of the house. Her mother and her personal assistant, Josefina, were sequestered in the ambassador’s office on a conference call with Yugoslavia. The FBI agents were walking the perimeter as Agent Asshole showed the newbie the ropes. 

This gave Emily at least ten minutes of uninterrupted time in the kitchen. She poured a half inch of French Vanilla liquid creamer, (powdered creamer was just plain gross), into the bottom of her Garbage Pail Kids mug. Slowly pouring the coffee in, she watched at the colors swirl, white and black, into a beautiful light brown, almost beige. The first sip was sublime, hot, smooth, sweet, with a hint of the bitter coffee flavor. 

Emily raised her mug to her mouth, ready for another sip, when the hairs on the back of her neck stood. There was another person in the kitchen. She closed her eyes and made a silent wish, ‘Please, please, please, don’t let it be him.’ 

A moment later, Emily felt his presence behind her, standing much too close. He pressed up against her, trapping her between his body and the kitchen counter.

“Little Emily growing up so nicely.” He whispered as he rubbed his stubbly chin against the back of her neck. 

Her hands clutched the mug tightly, wanting nothing more than to throw the hot liquid over her shoulder, into his ugly face. 

Leonard Williams, also known as Agent Asshole, gave her the creeps. He had been assigned to her mother for the last two years and he was constantly touching her, saying questionable things that seemed innocent. Just the way he looked at her made Emily want to shower. 

She always dreaded coming home on school breaks, often opting to visit her friends or Grandfather, but this was her last summer before college. Her mother wanted her home. Home meant dealing with Agent Asshole. 

“Hello Agent Williams, um, can you back up? It’s a little too close for comfort,” she stammered.

The rat bastard rubbed himself on her backside before stepping away. Shuddering, Emily turned around, keeping the mug in her hand, like a talisman, as if the New Wave Dave could protect her. 

He leered at her; his gaze starting at her bare feet and slowly moving up her legs, his eyes finally settling on her red tank top, “You’ve filled out.”

The fucker stepped forward and she couldn’t keep herself still, her hands shook, sloshing the coffee over the brim. One of his hands gripped her upper arm, as he traced her cleavage with his fat finger. 

“Stop, please,” Emily begged, closing her eyes tight. 

The sound of a sharp inhale followed by a whooshing sound broke her from her frozen terror. Her eyes flew open to see the newbie punching Agent Asshole in the face. The new agent reached into his suit and pulled out handcuffs.

He released Leonard for a moment, then slammed him face first into the wall, pulling his arms backward before slapping the handcuffs on him. Wide-eyed and shaking, Emily took a breath when she heard the snap of the cuffs locking. 

The man grabbed Leonard and dragged him across the room, pushing him into a chair, “Don’t fucking move, asshole.” 

That rat bastard didn’t listen to the man, any more than he listened to Emily’s pleas, and struggled to stand. The other man pulled his gun from his waist, pointing it at Agent Asshole’s chest, “I mean it, Williams. Don’t move.”

“She was asking for it.” He yelled, “I’ll have your badge for this, Hotchner!”

The man crossed the room to Emily, tucking his handgun into his holster. His stride was long, almost reaching her in two steps. He stopped a few inches away, his dark eyes searching hers, “Miss Prentiss, are you okay?” 

His fierce eyes had a surprisingly calming effect on her. He was a protector, not an attacker

She nodded but her hands were still shaking and there was hot coffee splashing her and her bare feet. 

“Let me take that,” He spoke softly as he gently pried her hands off the mug. He handed her a kitchen towel before stepping back out of her personal space. 

“Fucking bitch,” Leonard muttered from across the room.

The man turned and stalked back to Agent Asshole, “I strongly suggest you shut your mouth.”

He snatched the phone off the wall and punched each number forcefully. After a moment, he barked, “SSA Grant, please.”

Emily wiped her hands on the towel, then her feet and floor, keeping an eye on the red-faced asshole. 

“Hotchner, sir. We have a problem. I am about to arrest Williams for assaulting Miss Prentiss.” The man locked eyes with Leonard as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line, “No sir, I haven’t informed the Ambassador yet. Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“What is going on here?” A sharp voice called out from the kitchen entryway.

The Ambassador had arrived on the scene. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set back in late 80s so Yugoslavia was still a country. And people had landlines…. Hehehehe! 
> 
> Paget Brewster is 5’8” so Emily is going to grow one more inch in college… 
> 
> Thank you to yetanothercriminalmindsfanatic on Tumblr for their suggestion of Garbage Pail Kids. If you ask me, it’s totally something Emily would get because it’s cool and would annoy her mother.  
> 
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
> <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	2. Chapter 2

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron Hotchner, an agent with the FBI, was at a loss for words. He may have been new to the FBI but he wasn’t wet behind the ears. He was a member of the bar in Virginia and District of Columbia. He had been a prosecutor and stood before federal judges but now he was feeling like a rookie. 

How would he explain to Ambassador Prentiss, whom he had met that very morning, that he just stopped his supervising agent from sexually assaulting her teenage daughter?

He glanced at the girl; she was wringing the towel in her hands. No longer scared, she now looked ashamed. He felt his temper flare, his hand clenching around the telephone handset. He turned away from them, and hung up the phone, stealing a deep breath before addressing the Ambassador.

“Ma’am, Agent Williams was behaving inappropriately towards Miss Prentiss. My supervisor, SSA Grant, is on his way to handle this situation.” 

There, succinct without giving too many details, he thought. 

The mother walked up to her daughter; assessing her. She brought her hand up and lifted the girl’s chin up so she could see her eyes, “Are you alright, Emily?”

The girl dropped her eyes to the floor, “I’m fine, Mother. It was nothing.”

His temper flared again, “Nothing? Miss Prentiss, he verbally and physically assaulted you. You asked him to stop and he did not. That is not nothing.”

Williams muttered again, his tone disgruntled. Aaron wanted to punch him again. That bastard, touching the girl, speaking filth to her. 

The Ambassador lean across Miss Prentiss pushing the intercom button behind her. “Edward, can you please come to the kitchen?”

A tinny voice echoed through the intercom, “On my way, Ma’am.”

Turning, she stood in front of her daughter, facing the fucker and himself. He waited for her to lash out or stalk forward. Instead, she stood still, her posture perfect, her expression neutral. 

The house manager arrived, maybe he was a butler; Aaron didn’t understand rich people. 

“Edward, would you please escort Agents Williams and Hotchner to your office until Agent Grant arrives.”

Her icy tone sent chills up Aaron’s spine. Dismissed, he grabbed the bastard out of the chair and pushed him towards the doorway. Edward walked before them, leading the way. 

Over his shoulder, he could hear the women whispering in the kitchen. 

He shoved Williams forward as they walked through the house towards the small office.  
As they went through the doorway, Williams tried to pull himself out of Aaron’s grip but was unsuccessful, bouncing lightly off the doorframe. God, Aaron wanted to smash his face into the door.

The butler sat behind his classic cherry desk and indicated that the FBI agents should sit on the chairs in front. 

Forcefully, Aaron placed Williams into the chair, ignoring his taunts about getting him fired. 

“Am I to understand that you have forgotten our conversation, Special Agent Williams? You are too young to be suffering from dementia. I was quite clear at Christmas that you were to maintain your distance from Emily Prentiss,” Edward’s voice was calm, detached. 

“Fuck you!”

Edward nodded at Williams, “I see, you did forget. Well, I haven’t.” The butler turned his computer monitor around so they could see the screen. He tapped on his keyboard and pulled up video surveillance of the kitchen. 

Grinning, Aaron couldn’t stop himself from gloating, “You are going down, Williams.” 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
> <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	3. Chapter 3

~~~~~CM~~~~~

With the pervert out of the room, Emily relaxed, her shoulders slumping. Her mother walked back over to her and cupped her face. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Emily tried to look away but her mother’s hands and gaze were insistent, “Mother, it was just talk. He never did much.” 

“Sweetheart, if he made you uncomfortable at all, you should have told me.” Elizabeth led her daughter to the table and they sat down.

“I didn’t want to cause any trouble,” Emily said dejectedly. She couldn’t make her mother happy; either she complained too much or not enough. 

They sat in silence; Emily was sure her mother was mad at her for causing a problem with the security detail. That other FBI guy was pretty cool, she thought, he really taught Agent Asshole a lesson. 

Marta returned from the market with a handful of bags, “Good Morning, Ambassador, Miss Prentiss.” 

The housekeeper put away the groceries, ignoring the tension in the room, “I have lamb cutlets for this evening’s dinner. The fresh asparagus from the farmer’s market will make a perfect side.”

Emily smiled at Marta, “Sounds wonderful. I missed your cooking when I was away at school.”

The conversation lapsed and Marta finished putting away the groceries. She left the room and the kitchen fell silent again. 

Picking at her fingernails, Emily wondered how long she would have to sit before she could escape to her bedroom. Her mother reached across and pulled her hands apart, tsking at her for messing up her manicure.

“Mother, it’s just clear polish.”

“It’s a bad habit, Emily.” 

Another few minutes of silence and Emily was restless. She fidgeted in her chair, clasping her hands together, then sitting on them before setting them on the table again. 

“What happens now?” 

Elizabeth stood up from the table and poured herself a cup of coffee. She pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it from the pitcher in the fridge. Returning to the table, she handed Emily a glass of cold water. Sitting back down, she sipped at her coffee before speaking, “I believe Agent Williams will be suspended. He may be relieved of duty.”

“Good,” Emily muttered under her breath. 

Hearing voices in the other room, both women turn their heads to the doorway. An older man entered, followed by Edward. 

“Ma’am, SSA Grant has arrived,” Edward stated before turning on his heels and leaving.

SSA Grant kissed Elizabeth’s cheek, “Ambassador, sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. And this must be Miss Prentiss.” 

Emily stood and shook hands with FBI agent. She looked to her mother to see if she needed to stay. Elizabeth's eyes cut to the table so Emily sat demurely. 

“Coffee, SSA Grant?” 

“Yes, please.” The man sat down, folding his hands on the tabletop, “I’ve sent the Special Agent Williams back to the Bureau. He is suspended pending investigation. Your manager, Edward, had surveillance of the kitchen so I believe the case will be cut and dry.”

“Surveillance!” Exclaimed Emily before clapping her hands over her mouth. 

He nodded as he accepted the mug from Elizabeth. She sat down and wrapped her hands around her own mug. 

“It seems Edward suspected Williams wasn’t behaving in an appropriate manner when it came to Miss Prentiss. He set up the cameras just this week.”

Emily glanced at her mother, wondering how Edward could have possibly known. Elizabeth smiled tightly and nodded for him to continue.

“I need to take Miss Prentiss’ statement.”

Uncomfortable, Emily traced the trail of moisture on her glass of water. This is going to suck, like totally majorly suck, she thought.

“May I stay for the statement, Emily?” Elizabeth asked her daughter, her eye unreadable.

Shrugging, Emily muttered, “I guess so.”

The federal agent pulled a recorder from his pocket and placed it gently on the table between them, “Let’s begin with this morning.” 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and clicking the Kudos button. I do appreciate it.
> 
> Wanna chat? I’m on Tumblr:  
> <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	4. Chapter 4

~~~~~CM~~~~~

What a great way to start my first assignment out of the Academy, thought Aaron. The unit chief just had his supervisory agent escorted back to the Bureau. Williams deserved to be fired. Perverted pedophile, messing with a young girl. 

Aaron watched the live video feed coming from the kitchen. Edward had dropped off SSA Grant in the kitchen with the Ambassador and Miss Prentiss. He could feel the tension in the room through the monitor. 

Edward returned and Aaron stood, holding out his hand, “Edward, I am truly glad you were looking out for Miss Prentiss. I don’t know how far Williams would have gone.”

After a firm handshake, Edward moved behind his desk. He turned the monitor back around and turned it off. “He made Emily uncomfortable and I’ve seen her handle diplomats with ease. Something was off about him.” 

Sitting back down, Aaron asked, “You’ve been with the family a while then?” 

“Just since they returned from Europe when Emily was fifteen. I am truly glad you stepped in. I wasn’t watching the surveillance otherwise I would have stopped him.”

Aaron assessed the man in front of him; he truly cared about Miss Prentiss. “I’m glad you set up cameras. Did the Ambassador know?”

“No, I spoke with your predecessor, Agent Burns. He made some recommendations before he was reassigned. He alerted SSA Grant but we did not want to concern the Ambassador if I was wrong.”

This information surprised Aaron. He contemplated his initial assignment meeting with his unit chief. Grant had been clear that Aaron was to uphold the standards and values of the bureau. At the time, he had chalked it up to a canned speech given to the new agent. Now he was realizing that Grant was warning him, giving him a subtle head’s up. 

Growing hot under the collar, Aaron shifted in his chair, “Why didn’t Burns do anything about this? Why did it take so long to address this? Williams has been assigned to the Ambassador for almost two years.” Standing up, Aaron paced the small office, “There was a young girl at stake here.” 

Edward laced his hands together, placing them on the desktop, “I suspected and told Burns but Emily was away at school most of the year. Their interactions were limited but when I did observe them, it was obvious something was wrong. Agent Hotchner, please sit down. You are making me dizzy.”

Embarrassed, Aaron returned to his seat, “Sorry. And please call me Aaron.”

“What happens now?”

“Grant took a copy of the surveillance and both our statements. He’ll finish up with Miss Prentiss and turn everything over to Internal Affairs. I’ll bet Williams will be fired by end of the week.” 

Nervously tapping on the desk, Edward stared at the black screen, “I violated her privacy. She is going to be angry.” 

Agreeing with him, Aaron nodded, “You were protecting her.”

“Hotchner.” A deep voice called out from the doorway. 

“Sir,” scrambling out of his seat, Aaron stood and addressed his supervisor. He thought, smooth, Aaron, real smooth.

SSA Grant raised his hand and waved to Edward, “Thank you for your assistance in this matter.” He cocked his head to the left, indicating that Aaron should follow as he headed to the front door. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The two FBI agents stood on the driveway of the Ambassador’s estate. SSA Grant leaned against his government issued black sedan.

Tilting his head, he leveled a contemplative gaze at Aaron, “You handled yourself well with this situation and impressed the Ambassador.”

Aaron was pissed, he knew that Grant was aware of Williams’ behavior and had set up Aaron to ‘handle’ him. “Sir, Williams was out of line. I did as any agent, as any person, should do in this situation.” He paused, wondering how far he should push. Deciding to play nice, perhaps there was more to this than he knew, Aaron tried to cool his temper. “Will Miss Prentiss press charges?”

Grant held his gaze a little longer and then let out a sigh, “Hotchner, I can see it in your face. I set you up. I wanted to see how you would handle going up against a senior agent. And I wanted to see if you could handle a political landmine. You did good, son.”

Angry, Aaron stepped forward into Grant’s personal space, “There wasn’t another way without putting an innocent girl in the line of fire. He molested her so you could see what I’m made of?”

Raising his hand, Grant spoke quickly to diffuse the new agent, “Of course not. I thought he was making remarks, not actually assaulting people. He’s an arrogant ass. I didn’t know he was a letch.” 

Backing off, he considered his boss’ words and relented, “Well, is she pressing charges? She’s not a minor anymore so her name will go on the reports.” 

“The Ambassador is concerned with her daughter’s privacy but they are pressing charges. I have to get back to the office, I have a meeting OPR and HR in an hour. Williams will be terminated and arrested.” Grant smirked, “I think I will encourage him to plead out so he doesn’t jeopardize his pension.”

Pleased with the potential outcome, Aaron smiled, holding out his hand to Grant. They shook and Grant pressed the remote button to unlock the car. Climbing in, he paused in midst of closing the door, “Hotchner, I’ll assign another agent to cover for Williams. Can you pull a double today?”

“Yes, sir.”

SSA Grant drove away and Aaron headed inside to clean up the mess that Williams left behind. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The police usually have an Internal Affairs department to investigate internally, in the FBI it is called the Office of Professional Responsibility or OPR.


	5. Chapter 5

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Emily was exhausted; who knew that talking about a pervert on the record for thirty minutes would be physically tiring. She excused herself, her mother nodding hesitantly as she left the table. 

She locked herself in her bathroom and took a long hot shower. After dressing in her baggiest clothes, she laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling. This sucked. 

Emily appreciated the straightforward ‘just the facts’ manner that Grant had handled her statement. He kept a neutral expression as he listened to her answers. Her mother had a similar expression on her face in front the outsider. Only Emily knew the fire that burned beneath the mask. After 18 years of experience in horrifying her mother, Emily never expected to upset her in this way. 

Yes, Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss was a cool cat, never showing her emotions. Usually, she retreated to process information, then calmly rebuked whoever wronged her until they were ashamed of themselves. This is my turn, Emily thought, I have embarrassed her. 

Emily waited, estimating another five minutes of peace before her mother knocked on her door to discuss today’s situation. 

Huffing, Emily sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She glanced around and decided to clean up before her mother was even more disappointed in her. The wet towel was hung in the bathroom, the mounds of dirty clothes were relocated to the hamper, her non-academic books returned to her bulging bookcase, and her ‘questionable’ CDs stuffed in shoe boxes under her bed.

What else? She thought as she smoothed down her comforter. Blinds, her blinds were hanging crooked. Walking to the window, she raised up the left side of the blinds half an inch to even them out. Outside, the newbie FBI agent was in the driveway talking to Grant. 

“Hotchner, that’s his name, right?” She said to herself, “Holy Crap! He’s pissed,” as she watched him stalk forward to get in his boss’ face. 

Hearing a light tap on her door, Emily turned around, “Come in, Mother.” 

Elizabeth entered her daughter’s room, glancing around before sitting down in the armchair. Emily climbed on her bed, sitting cross legged, staring at her hands. 

“Emily, I am sorry you had to endure the innuendo and the inappropriate touching for so long. I am even more upset that you didn’t feel like you could tell me.” 

Emily mumbled without looking up, “Sorry, Mother.”

Suddenly, Elizabeth was with her on the bed, her mother’s arms wrapping around her. Elizabeth caressed her hair and Emily snuggled into the embrace. 

“Emily, please don’t apologize. You have done nothing wrong.” 

A tear slipped out. Emily had prided herself to be detached and unemotional. But here, in her mother’s arms, the morning caught up with her and she allowed herself to cry a little. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

After what could only be described as a cuddle, Emily and Elizabeth separated. Emily headed to the kitchen for lunch and Elizabeth to her office.

Marta put out leftovers, giving the kitchen an international flair. She hugged Emily tightly to her before disappearing into her quarters. 

Emily was putting together teriyaki chicken, baked ziti, and a Greek salad on a plate as Elizabeth brought in Edward and the FBI dude. 

“Please join us for lunch, Agent Hotchner. We can discuss this morning’s unpleasantness afterward.”

Silently, Edward plated the salad for Elizabeth, setting it on the table for her. He poured four glasses of ice tea, spooning a heaping teaspoon of sugar into one he handed to Emily. 

Emily sipped her tea, “Perfect, Edward. Thank you.”

Edward and Hotchner each filled their plates with ziti and salad before joining them at the table. Emily ate quietly, avoiding eye contact as her mother played hostess. 

“Agent Hotchner, I understand you are a new agent?” 

“Yes, ma’am. I recently graduated from the FBI Academy. I was a federal prosecutor prior to this.” 

Her mother nodded and Edward reassessed the Feeb. Hmmm, both Mother and Edward approve of him, Emily thought.

“Please tell us about yourself,” Elizabeth instructed. 

He wiped his mouth, placing the napkin back in his lap, “I grew up nearby, attended the University of Virginia for undergrad, Georgetown for law school.” Smiling, he rubbed his wedding ring, “I married my high school sweetheart, Haley. Recently, I changed careers, joining the FBI.”

The group engaged in small talk, Edward proudly announcing that Emily was heading off to Yale in the fall to study literature. Overall, it was a pleasant lunch, Emily thought. She often ate with Edward or Marta, rarely with her mother or in a large group unless it was a formal dinner party. 

Emily cleared the table when her mother finished her lunch. She rinsed the plates, stacking them slowly in the dishwasher. She started to pack up the spread on the counter but hearing her mother clear her throat, Emily knew her busy work was done. She returned to the table. 

It was time for Ambassador Prentiss to make an appearance. Emily stared at her hands as her mother lectured everyone about protecting the family’s privacy. Edward knew the drill; nodding and yes ma’aming. 

“Edward, in the future, I would appreciate it if you came to me directly with your suspicions.” Elizabeth spoke quietly to the house manager, “I understand your hesitation, however, this situation affected my daughter.”

Edward nodded curtly, “It won’t happen again, ma’am.”

“All that being said; damn good work, Edward.” Standing up, Elizabeth walked over to him, and placed her hand on his shoulder, “And Agent Hotchner, I am quite pleased with how you handled this situation. I thank you both.” 

She gave Emily the look and Emily spoke on command, “Thank you, Edward and Agent Hotchner for looking out for my well being. I appreciate it.”

And with that, Ambassador Prentiss turned and exited the kitchen. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Tumblr if you wanna say Hi: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	6. Chapter 6

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron arrived home early the next morning. He slipped out of his suit and climbed into bed with his wife, wearing nothing but his boxers. Wrapping his arms around her, he relaxed as the warmth of her body seeped into his. 

“Mmmm, Aaron,” Haley mumbled, opening her eyes halfway, glancing at the alarm clock.

“Sorry to wake you, sweetheart,” he whispered, his face pressed into her shoulder. 

She rolled over and faced him, “We can cuddle for a bit before I have to get up for work.” 

Haley caressed his face and he leaned into her touch. Nuzzling his nose along the shell of her ear, he whispered, “just cuddle?” Her giggle made him smile. She was amazing; he doesn’t come home all night, wakes her before her alarm, and she giggles, “God, I love you, Haley.” 

After giving in to Aaron’s amorous attentions, Haley left to shower and dress for work. He decided to get up and make her breakfast. He could nap after she left, he didn’t need to be back at the Prentiss estate until 4:00 pm. 

Not a creative cook, Aaron stuck with his go to meal, scrambled eggs and sausage. He was buttering the toast when Haley joined him in the kitchen of their apartment.

“Smells so good!” Haley poured coffee for the both of them and sat at the counter. Aaron served her breakfast before circling around to sit next to her. 

He tucked in as Haley chattered about her meetings for the day, handling her mother, and planning a double date for them with her sister and some new guy. Listening quietly, nodding when expected; Aaron was assessing his wife. She had handled his career change well even though it delayed their life plan. They were supposed to be buying a house this year but the decrease in his salary from a federal prosecutor to newbie agent was making things tight. Delaying the house purchase also meant delaying their baby plan.

“And how is your new post? Your Ambassador?”

Groaning, Aaron filled her in on yesterday’s events. He scrubbed his face with his hands and asked Haley, “Hey, how would you have handled it if a man was touching you when you were a teen?” 

“I would have done what she did, asked him to stop.”

Confused, Aaron sighed, “You wouldn’t have yelled for help or slapped him?”

“He’s an adult and I’ll bet he was bigger than her. Girls aren’t taught to fight men off unless…” she paused, “Growing up, I thought guys are allowed to hit on you, say rude things, pull your bra strap, and so on. As a girl, you are only supposed to fight back if you are being raped. At least that’s what my experience has been.”

“That's awful,” he shook his head, he asked, “Has that happened to you?”

Haley sipped at her coffee and turned to face him, “Sure, at least since middle school. You know, I never thought of doing anything about it. If someone was to touch me or say something to me now, I wouldn’t put up with it.” 

“Hmm, I really had no idea. This is molestation, unwanted sexual contact, sexual assault. It doesn’t have to be rape to be a crime.” 

Nodding, Haley agreed with him, “Yes, but to her and everything she has learned; this is acceptable behavior from men. She probably didn’t even tell anyone. If she told her friends, she would probably say that the guy gives her the creeps, not that he assaulted her.”

Frustrated, Aaron stood up, giving up on his meal. He stalked into the kitchen. He scoured the frying pan, soap bubbles covering his hands. He cleaned the plates as Haley returned to the bedroom to finish dressing. 

Stacking the dried plates in the cabinet, he was lost in his thoughts. As an idea began to solidify, Aaron headed to the bedroom. 

Haley was putting on her earrings and caught his eye in the mirror, “Babe?”

“Do you think a self defense class would help Miss Prentiss?” 

She shrugged and handed him a necklace, he clasped it around her neck as she spoke, “It will help a bit. I think the lesson here is to find your voice, to know your rights. If she thinks it’s okay for a man to play grab-ass, then knowing how to fight is pointless.” 

“You are so smart,” Aaron told her, kissing the top her head. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

At 3:55 pm, Aaron was switching places with Thomas’ replacement, Special Agent Peña. The agent reported no disturbances and he completed eight security checks. Aaron had another six to complete prior to the weekend’s dinner party. 

He walked a quick sweep of the perimeter and checked the security feeds for the last several hours. It looked like the estate was quiet as Peña had said. 

Aaron found Edward in his office and they exchanged pleasantries. “I have an idea to run by you,” Aaron told the older man. 

Edward nodded at him, indicating that he was listening.

Hesitating, Aaron paused, he hadn’t run this by Peña or Grant but he wanted to gauge Edward’s opinion before even broaching the subject with his superiors. “I want thinking of teaching Miss Prentiss self defense. I didn’t like how helpless she was with Williams,” and then silently added, ‘the pervert.’

A smile cracked through Edward’s reserved expression, “That might do Emily a world of good.” 

The men discussed Aaron’s plan in detail and decided to approach the Ambassador before suggesting anything to the teenager. 

Within the hour, Elizabeth Prentiss had granted her permission and Aaron had to determine the best way to inform Miss Prentiss. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say Hi on Tumblr:   
> <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	7. Chapter 7

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Hanging up the phone, Emily laid back on her bed and thought about what her best friend, Becky, had told her. Stupid boys! She didn’t even really like Robert but she thought he liked her. Anyway, college boys will be more mature and Yale college boys will be even more mature than regular college boys.

Well, now she had a whole evening free, having canceled going to Robert’s party. She did not want to see him sucking face with another girl anyway. Not Even! 

So now she had a whole evening of fun at the Prentiss estate. 

She could hear the staff moving around downstairs trying to prepare the house for the dinner party tomorrow. Workers would be bringing in equipment, chairs, tables, linens, glassware, and liquor. Liquor. Emily smirked, perhaps she could sneak a bottle. 

Edward and Marta kept a close eye on the wine and beer in the butler’s pantry. Usually, Emily could sneak a sip or two of Scotch without discovery from her mom’s office but outside of that, she had to depend on her friends.

With a plan of action in mind, Emily left her bedroom and skirted past the kitchen into the backyard. From there, she circled the house and watched as the delivery trucks were unloaded. Sure enough, the catering van was filled with cases of beer and wine. Debating on how to steal a bottle of wine out of a case; Emily determined it would be less noticeable to take a whole case of beer. 

She waited until the delivery boy went to the side of the house to smoke a cigarette before walking nonchalantly towards the van. 

“Miss Prentiss, out for a stroll?” A deep voice called from her right side, startling her. 

Spinning around she saw Agent Hotchner leaning against the wall. His mouth was twitching like he was holding back a smile. 

“Yeah, just going for a walk,” Emily lied through her teeth, “How are you today?”

He pushed off the wall and approached, “Wonderful, I wanted to chat with you for a minute. Shall we?” 

Casting a look of longing at the cases of beer, she sighed and started walking towards her favorite path. 

“Plus, it’s better to steal after the liquor is counted and signed off on.” 

Emily stopped walking and turned to look at him, he was smirking at her, “I wasn’t going…”

Agent Hotchner brushed off her comment with a wave of his hand, “I wanted to see if you would be interested in learning some self defense.” 

He resumed walking and she had to jog to catch up with his long stride, “Self defense? Like putting my keys between my fingers in my fist or kneeing a dude in the junk?”

“Essentially, yes. I would like to make sure you know how to protect yourself in any situation.” 

They walked for a few minutes in silence, tramping through the dry brush as the path cut through the woods. Emily watched him from the corner of her eye; he was serious about this. He wanted her safe, to protect her. Unlike Edward, Agent Hotchner wasn’t going to watch from afar. 

“I think I’d like that,” she stated honestly. 

He nodded at her, “I’ve spoken to your mother about this. She has given her approval. We can start tonight. The basement studio will be a good space to work in.” 

“Oooh,” Emily squealed as an idea came to her, “Will you teach me how to flip people over my shoulder?” 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

After a quiet dinner with her mother, Emily dragged Agent Hotchner down to her old dance studio. 

“Okay, can we start with flips?” 

Shaking his head, he said, “Let’s start small.” 

Pouting, Emily stopped bouncing on her feet, “Fine.” 

“Your first defense is being aware of your surroundings. Find an exit or establish eye contact with another person. They are more likely to help you later if you call out. Use your voice, be clear and loud.” He instructed her as she rolled her eyes. 

“What about pressure points? Is there really a sleeper hold? Like I pinch something on your neck and you pass out, like a Vulcan death grip.” 

He scrubbed his hand through his precisely combed hair, and sighed, “No sleeper holds. Let’s focus on drawing attention and getting someone’s hands off of you. I am going to grab your wrist, I want you to try to get me to let go.”

Emily was surprised with the tightness of his grip; she had assumed he wouldn’t grab her like he was a real bad guy. She struggled, pulled, and pushed. She tried to kick him and punch with her loose hand to no avail.

“Try pinching me,” he directed her. 

The stupid agent just batted her slaps and kicks away as if she was an annoying fly, now he wanted her to pinch him. Emily rolled her eyes at him, “what is this? First Grade?”

He let her wrist go and she rubbed it, trying to dull the ache. 

“Grab my wrist,” Hotchner ordered. 

She held on to his wrist tightly, squeezing her hand hard. Then that son of a bitch pinched her in the inner part of her arm. A tiny sharp pinch on the underside of her bicep, making her yelp and let him go. 

Smirking, he said, “Simple and small. A pinch works great on the soft part of the arm or inner thigh. It gives you an opportunity to get into a better position to get away or fight.”

Emily looked at her bare arm with a small red blotch, examining it, “I can’t believe that worked. It hurt like a bitch.” 

They continued for another hour before Agent Hotchner ended the session, having spent a majority of the time on small motions that would get an attacker’s hands off so she had time to yell or escape. 

He followed behind her as she headed for the kitchen. Edward and Marta were drinking tea at the table. Marta jumped up as they entered and began preparing cups for them. 

“How did it go?” Edward asked Emily. 

She sat beside him and complained, “I didn’t get to punch or kick or gouge his eyes out.”

Marta clucked her tongue at the teenager and patted the FBI agent on the shoulder. 

“Annnnnnnnd he wouldn’t show me how to flip people over my shoulder,” Emily whined at them.

Smiling, Hotchner leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea, “That will come with time, Miss Prentiss.” 

~~~~~CM~~~~~


	8. Chapter 8

~~~~~CM~~~~~

For two solid months, Aaron had trained Miss Prentiss in everything from the most basic self defense moves through hand to hand combat. She had made great strides in fending off a potential attacker. 

Their conversations during the training sessions started light, topics like music and movies but soon they were chatting about her friends, her college plans, and her future. Aaron tried to broach the topic of “Agent Asshole” as she called him, to make sure she knew he had violated her rights. He talked about drunk frat boys and inappropriate behavior in hopes of sparking a change in her way of thinking. 

The teenager was so thrilled with her new skills that she roped her girlfriends to sign up for a Tae Kwon Do class. She invited to Aaron to watch as she tested for her next belt. Observing her with the instructors and other students, he noted that she had gained confidence as well as strength. He allowed himself the ego boost; he was proud to have had a positive effect on this young girl. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Aaron limped into the apartment. 

“What happened?” Haley asked, nerves making her voice waver. 

He tried to shrug but groaned instead, “Miss Prentiss finally got her wish.”

Haley laughed, “she flipped you? I wish I had seen that.”

Walking slowly, he headed for the bedroom and began to undress. His wife followed and helped him take his jacket off. 

“The whole house saw it, even the Ambassador. Edward got mats for the studio floors but I managed to tweak my neck somehow.” His cheeks were flaming red as he filled her in, “I must have stiffened up when I hit. Then as I tried to stand, she swept my leg.” 

“You poor thing. Here,” she pointed to the bed, “I’ll massage your neck and back.” 

Aaron sat down stiffly, and she unbuttoned his shirt before laying him down. Disappearing into the bathroom, she returned with a tube of pain relieving analgesic cream. Massaging his neck, Haley worked down his back and then back up to his shoulders as he moaned in relief. 

Aaron pouted as Haley spread more cream on to his neck, “smells so gross.”

She placed tiny kisses along his shoulders, as her hands smoothed down his arms. “Where else, babe?”

“My knee but a massage won’t help that,” he flexed his neck, rotating his head in a circle, ”thanks so much, Haley. It was so tight, I couldn’t move.” 

Haley stood up and passed him a t-shirt, “I’ll call the chiropractor in the morning.” 

He dressed and walked over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her, “You take such good care of me.”

They spend the evening cooking dinner together. Aaron opened a bottle of wine, and Haley put out a small plate of olives and cheese. Sitting together at the counter, they snacked and sipped at the wine while the chicken roasted in the oven.

“So I have amazing news.” 

“Do tell.” 

She pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket, unfolding it to reveal a check for $2,000. 

“You bonused? Haley, that is amazing.”

Her smile lit up her face, “Yup! My company met its sales goals. Now, we can pay off the car and start putting money away for the down payment on a house.” 

“Hmmm, I think we will have a little extra after paying the bills. Want to get away for a long weekend?” Aaron slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her. 

“A bed and breakfast in the countryside or a weekend in New York City?” 

The Ambassador had accepted a position in Europe and Aaron was being reassigned in the next few weeks. He would have a few days off in between assignments.

“A beach trip? Myrtle Beach is a quick drive,” nuzzling her neck, he mumbled, “I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a bikini.”

“Mmmm,” she replied as his kisses traveled downwards. 

Dinner ended being extra crispy that evening.

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Two days later, Aaron was shaking hands with Miss Prentiss as Edward put her luggage into the car, “Best of luck to you at Yale.”

She let his hand go and threw her arms around him, squeezing him in a tight hug, “You are totally awesome, Agent Hotchner. Thank you.” 

Aaron awkwardly patted her back as Edward snickered at him. 

Marta joined them outside and she wiped a tear as Miss Prentiss hugged her. Edward was enveloped in a hug next, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

The Ambassador joined them in the driveway, tsking at her daughter and ushering her into the car. As they drove away, Emily stuck her head out of her window and waved goodbye to them.

Shaking his head, Aaron couldn’t help but smile at the excited teenager. 

~~~~~CM~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue coming up in next day or so...  
> Come say Hi on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	9. Chapter 9

~~~~~CM~~~~~

Anxious, Emily straightened her posture, smoothed down her skirt, and picked up her box of office supplies. I can do this, she told herself. A quick elevator ride later and she was walking through the glass doors of the Behavioural Analysis Unit. 

She headed up the walk away to the Unit Chief’s office, knocking lightly on the door frame as the door was already open.

“Come in.” 

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into his office. Despite the twelve years that passed, he looked almost the same. His hair was still precisely combed and he wore a dark suit, only this suit was tailored to fit perfectly. Missing was his smirk and dancing eyes. His face was schooled into a stoic expression. 

“SSA Hotchner, I’m Agent Emily Prentiss.”

His eyebrows shot up as he stared at her for a long moment, “Miss Prentiss. This is a surprise.” 

She smiled nervously, “Blast from the past!”

“Please sit,” he waved her to the chairs in front of his desk. “How are you? How is the Ambassador doing?”

Small talk out of the way, she explained that she had been transferred to the BAU. 

Looking confused, he reviewed her paperwork. “Agent Prentiss, I’m afraid I didn’t sign off on this transfer. 

Crestfallen, Emily stacked her employee file on top of the box. She hesitated, wondering if she should stand up before deciding to try again. Squaring her shoulders, she looked him directly in the eye, “I belong in this unit. And all I'm asking you for is the chance to show that.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, “based on your experience, I do think you will be an asset to the team. We will need to clear this up with Human Resources.” 

“Thank you, Sir. I will follow up directly with them.”

They stood and as she turned to leave, he asked, “Agent Prentiss, I am curious. Why did you join the FBI? From what I recall, you were interested in pursuing a career in academia, specifically Russian literature.”

“You did, Sir. Your dedication to helping people. You protected me and taught me to protect myself. That summer had a profound effect on me. I decided to pursue law enforcement so I could help others.”

A hint of color graced his cheeks before he shook her hand, “I am glad you are here. We’ll get this straightened out.”

Emily nodded, “Thank you, Sir. You won’t be disappointed.”

~~~~~CM~~~~~

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am going to leave it here… What happens next will be up to Hotch and Emily...
> 
> Also, I stole dialogue from the show, Season 2, Episode: The Last Word.
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:   
> <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


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